CSA members gathered at the farm yesterday afternoon for an Open House and tour of the farm. It was great to see so many old friends, and meet new neighbors! With the CSA season set to begin in a couple of weeks, farm members took a quick tour of Stout Oak’s greenhouse and (soggy) fields, and got an early season preview of things to come.
Even though the day was a little cool and gray, we served refreshing Rhubarb Spritzers – my favorite way to enjoy one of the first crops of the season. They are easy to make, with just a few simple ingredients.
Our version of Rhubarb Spritzers: Pour a little homemade rhubarb syrup over ice, then add seltzer or club soda.
Rhubarb Syrup
Just 3 ingredients – feel free to adjust the amounts to your taste.
1 pound rhubarb, chopped into 1″ pieces
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Put the chopped rhubarb, sugar and water in a saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the rhubarb is completely cooked (mushy) and the liquid begins to thicken. Pour through a fine strainer, then pour the liquid into a jar. The syrup will keep for quite a while in the refrigerator (and make an extra jar to put in the freezer!) The rhubarb pulp that is left in the strainer can be used for baking (muffins? bread? cobbler?) or just eaten as a rough jam.